So what’s my contribution to the book-buying suggestions? I thought I’d try out a different approach. My very random, totally un-scientific, un-researched and completely off-the-cuff list of suggested titles is just that—books that immediately come to mind, with no consulting my bedroom bookcases or bestseller lists. It’s neither exhaustive nor exclusive, but maybe that’s a good thing. After all, if these titles are at the front of my mind right now, with 700 pages of student writing to comment on, freelance deadlines, and a respiratory infection, they must be memorable, right?

Nonfiction (memoir and narrative):The Obvious: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth GilbertA Three Dog Life by Abigail ThomasThe Sky Isn’t Visible from Here by Felicia SullivanMountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy KidderFriday Night Lights by H.G. BissingerIn Cold Blood by Truman CapoteInto Thin Air by Jon KrakauerThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne FadimanI Remember Running by Darcy WakefieldAll in My Head by Paula KamenMarley and Me by John Grogan

(Note: Though a couple of titles cross over, please see my previous post on narrative medicine if you are interested in a more complete list of books about medicine, illness, etc.)

Food:The Obvious: In Defense of Food by Michael PollanAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara KingsolverGarlic and Sapphires by Ruth ReichlThe Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey SteingartenFast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World by Andrew Rimas and Evan Fraser (Note: I have only just started this, but the author is local and a friend of mine so it’s on my mind)

Fiction:The Obvious: The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa LahiriThe Emperor’s Childrenby Claire MessudRunaway by Alice MunroCase Histories by Kate AtkinsonWater for Elephants by Sara GruenThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara KingsolverKissing in Manhattan by David ShicklerThe World According to Garp by John IrvingPrep by Curtis SittenfeldNamesake by Jhumpa LahiriLittle Earthquakes by Jennifer WeinerLost City Radio by Daniel Alarcón

Someday, I’ll be good and post a more complete list with commentary and all that, but right now a different stack of writing awaits me. Please feel free to throw in your favorite or current reads in the comments section, and remember—books make wonderful gifts!